Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 00-02-16

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From: The Macedonian Press Agency at http://www.mpa.gr and http://www.hri.org/MPA.

CONTENTS

[01] NO POSTERS AND ADS IN ELECTION CAMPAIGN

[02] ANDREW ATHENS: THESSALONIKI IS THE LINK BETWEEN GREECE AND THE GREEKS

[03] CONTACTS OF A GREEK STATE RADIO, ERA, DELEGATION WITH JOURNALISTS IN

[04] CHANGES IN THE EXISTING PASSPORT ISSUING SYSTEM

[05] THE LIVES OF THE GREEK SOLDIERS IN KOSOVO ARE NOT IN DANGER

[06] PAPANTONIOU-KARATZAS-KOSTOPOULOS IN LONDON

[07] LOSSES RECORDED IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

[08] THE MUFTIS OF XANTHI AND DIDIMOTICHO VISITED PRESIDENT STEPHANOPOULOS

[09] ADS INFLUENCE ABOUT 10% OF CONSUMERS IN THESSALONIKI

[10] DOGFISH 2000 EXERCISE BEGINS TOMORROW

[11] PHILOXENIA OPENS IN ISTANBUL TOMORROW

[12] POEMS BY KAVAFIS IN THE ALBANIAN LANGUAGE

[13] THE UN EXPRESSED SATISFACTION OVER THE CYPRUS TALKS

[14] UN OPTIMISTIC OVER FUTURE OF CYPRUS

[15] GREEK INVESTORS EMBARK ON MISSION TO SYDNEY

[01] NO POSTERS AND ADS IN ELECTION CAMPAIGN

Candidates for a parliamentary seat in April 9's elections will have to trim their advertising expenses and approach the would-be voters by a door-to-door campaign or through the mail, as an all-party committee has ruled against all outdoor posters, banners or neon signs.

The pre-election campaign expenditures is expected to double in some cases, commensurate to the electoral region's population and the number of seats.

However, the all-party committee decided not to raise the expenditures ceiling, opting instead to curb the parties' TV-radio advertising up to 50 percent.

In next week's session, the all-party committee is also expected to rule (heavy-handedly) on the candidates' appearances in newscasts or talk shows, as this is deemed to be an indirect form of advertising.

Opposition parties asked that the said adjustments be enforced immediately and not upon the start of the pre-election period, while the minor opposition parties of the Coalition of the Left and Progress (Synaspismos), the Communist Party of Greece and the Democratic and Social Movement (DIKKI) insisted that that the electronic media grant equal treatment to all parties.

Greece has a law providing for a ceiling on electoral expenditures, although attempts to enforce the said law often fail.

Pre-election expenditures for each of the two major parties, PASOK and New Democracy, are expected to range from 10 to 20 billion drachmas.

A.F.

[02] ANDREW ATHENS: THESSALONIKI IS THE LINK BETWEEN GREECE AND THE GREEKS ABROAD

World Council of Hellenes Abroad, SAE, president Andrew Athens in statements he made to Macedonian Press Agency stressed that Thessaloniki is the link between Greece and the Greeks abroad.

He said that Thessaloniki is the seat of SAE and within this framework SAE tries to promote its role as the metropolitan center of the Balkans while at the same time, inform the Greek businessmen abroad over the incentives and advantages in the south-eastern European markets in order for Thessaloniki to become the gate through which those businesses will reach the new markets.

Mr. Athens stated that in the past 2 years SAE has collected and distributed more than US$ 22.6 million for the medical care of the Greek communities in the former soviet republics.

He said that three medical centers are in operation in the republic of Georgia for over 8 months. Those centers are in the capital Tblisi, in Tsalka, a mountainous region with 27 Greek villages and the village of Tsikisvari, offering medical care to over 10.000 patients a month.

In the Ukraine, a SAE network of 25 nurses making house calls is in operation offering basic medical care free of charge. Meanwhile, there are plans for a big medical center in Mariupoli while a new program is underway in Albania where SAE will found medical centers in cooperation with Archbishop Anastasios of Albania.

[03] CONTACTS OF A GREEK STATE RADIO, ERA, DELEGATION WITH JOURNALISTS IN KOSOVO

A Greek state radio, ERA, delegation had contacts and talks recently with journalists and newspaper publishers in Kosovo. The Greek delegation was made up by ERA general director Yiannis Tzanetakos, ERA-1 director Nikitas Lionarakis and international issues adviser Mr. Yiannotas.

ERA presented its views on the establishment of an immediate action radio network which is very much needed in the region due to the existing fluid situation.

The Greek delegation pledged that it will suggest to the Turkish state radio, that will organize the 3rd State Radio and Television Organizations Conference this year, to invite Radio Kosovo to attend the conference as an observer.

Meanwhile, in their stay in Skopje, FYROM the Greek delegation met with FYROM radio and television general director. It was agreed that Koritsa Radio in Albania, Bitola Radio in FYROM and Florina Radio in Greece will organize a tripartite meeting in the spring that will help to monitor the respect of the agreement signed by the three prime ministers of Albania, Greece and FYROM for the protection of the Lakes Prespes region.

[04] CHANGES IN THE EXISTING PASSPORT ISSUING SYSTEM

Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas stated that the government will proceed with the change of the existing passport issuing system soon.

Mr. Reppas stated that the responsibility for the issuing of the passports will belong to one authority namely, one state agency and stated referring to the prefects who are threatening with strike action that they are wrong and they should not shut down the prefecture buildings across the country.

[05] THE LIVES OF THE GREEK SOLDIERS IN KOSOVO ARE NOT IN DANGER

The Greek soldiers are not engaged in such a way in Kosovo that could put their lives in danger, stated Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas responding to a question by reporters on whether the Greek soldiers are in the so-called Kosovo "fire zone".

Mr. Reppas clarified that the Greek soldiers participate in an international peacekeeping force and have the same obligations and commitments with all the other forces and armed units. Also, the Greek government spokesman stated that the government is not considering sending more forces to the region.

When asked to comment on whether the Greek side is opposed to moving its forces to another region, Mr. Reppas responded that Greece has offered its forces within the framework of this international peacekeeping force and added that there is no relocation issue for the Greek armed forces units, adding that if this issue ever comes up it will be handled.

[06] PAPANTONIOU-KARATZAS-KOSTOPOULOS IN LONDON

Minister of national economy Yiannos Papantoniou accompanied by National Bank of Greece governor Athanasios Karatzas and Alpha Credit Bank Group president Ioannis Kostopoulos will be in London on Monday.

Mr. Papantoniou is scheduled to meet with his British counterpart Gordon Brown as well as with the London Stock Exchange president and the British deputy foreign minister.

Mr. Karatzas and Mr. Kostopoulos will have contacts with foreign investors to present to them the Greek capital market and invite them to Greece.

[07] LOSSES RECORDED IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

The negative climate in the Athens Stock Exchange continued for a third day today as the general index was at 5.328,49 points and closed with losses of 1.57%, while transactions reached 201.9 billion drachmas.

Twenty five stocks closed with gains, 309 recorded losses and 6 remained stable.

[08] THE MUFTIS OF XANTHI AND DIDIMOTICHO VISITED PRESIDENT STEPHANOPOULOS

The muftis of Xanthi and Didimoticho visited president Kostis Stephanopoulos, while earlier they had a meeting with foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou with whom they discussed issues concerning the Muslim minority.

Mr. Papandreou briefed them on the government policy on minority issues and stated that Greece promotes the democratic European principles. He stressed that those principles must be respected by all the Balkan states within the framework of the important steps made for their incorporation into the European family.

[09] ADS INFLUENCE ABOUT 10% OF CONSUMERS IN THESSALONIKI

A 10.4% of consumers in Thessaloniki are being influenced greatly by ads, according to a research conducted by Aristotle University journalism and mass media department.

However, the wide majority of the people are not influenced by advertisements as 61.1% of them have stated that ads have a minimal effect on them, while 28.5% responded that they are indifferent to them.

It should be noted that in the advertisements the value of consumerism is dominant for both sexes, while the percentages concerning spiritual values are very limited.

[10] DOGFISH 2000 EXERCISE BEGINS TOMORROW

NATO's annual submarine maneuvers will be held in the central Mediterranean and the Ionian Sea, from tomorrow to March 1, featuring the participation of 11 countries - including Turkey.

Submarines, surface vessels, planes and helicopters will take part in the Dogfish 2000 maneuvers, intended to improve coordination in multinational force operations, according to the a statement issued by Greece's General Army Staff.

A.F.

[11] PHILOXENIA OPENS IN ISTANBUL TOMORROW

Greece's "Philoxenia" organization is to participate in the East Mediterranean International Travel & Tourism Exhibition- EMITT 2000, which opens tomorrow in Istanbul.

Philoxenia's unprecedented participation in the Turkish arena falls within the framework of tourism cooperation development in the wider region the eastern Mediterranean.

Philoxenia is to focus on the promotion of Greece's domestic tourism and on its own exposition, held annually in Thessaloniki.

The exhibition will last until February 20.

A.F.

[12] POEMS BY KAVAFIS IN THE ALBANIAN LANGUAGE

Another work by Konstantinos Kavafis has been translated into Albanian. It is the poem collection under the title "The barbarians are coming" which was translated by Perikli Jorgoni and published by Aferdita publishing house.

Kavafis is regarded by modern critics as a reformer of the Greek poetry and has been characterized as one of the top poets in the world, according to the Albanian newspaper "Koha Yone".

[13] THE UN EXPRESSED SATISFACTION OVER THE CYPRUS TALKS

The UN Security Council expressed satisfaction over the willingness of the Greek Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriots to continue their contacts aimed at ending the division of the island, while it also praised the positive atmosphere observed in the second round of the proximity talks that were held between the two communities in Geneva.

In a statement that was issued by the UN Security Council after it was briefed by UN secretary-general adviser on Cyprus, Alvaro De Soto, all interested sides are called to continue their efforts for an overall settlement of the problem, according to the BBC radio service.

In the statement is also expressed the hope that there will be progress soon on essential matters.

[14] UN OPTIMISTIC OVER FUTURE OF CYPRUS

The United Nations Security Council issued an encouraging statement yesterday regarding talks on the future of Cyprus, following a closed session with Special Advisor on Cyprus Alvaro de Soto.

The second round of UN sponsored proximity talks between Cypriot President Glafcos Clerides and Turkish-Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash ended recently in Geneva with Mr. de Soto saying the process is "on track."

After the Security Council briefing, Council President Arnaldo Listre of Argentina read a statement re iterating the UN position that the status quo in Cyprus is unacceptable and expressing encouragement for the talks.

Mr. Listre said the Security Council looks forward to the third round of proximity talks" which are now scheduled to begin in New York on May 23rd.

Eventually, UN officials hope to achieve an agreement for the reunification of Cyprus with some autonomy for the Greek and Turkish communities. However, Mr. de Soto has conceded that the issues in the Cyprus issue are very complex and difficult which is why the United Nations is using such a slow and deliberate method to reach a hoped for agreement.

A.F.

[15] GREEK INVESTORS EMBARK ON MISSION TO SYDNEY

A delegation of leading Greek investors are arriving in Sydney today, in order to view the city's preparations for the Olympic Games.

The four-day visit will coincide with the convention of the International Olympic Committee's executive committee, also to be held in Syndey, which will review the contribution of sponsorships to this year's Games, as well as to the Athens-held Olympics in 2000. The session will be attended by IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch.

The delegates, who will be accompanied by journalists, will be received by Australian businessmen and with officials from Australia's Ministry of Foreign Trade.

Moreover, meetings are to be held with Australia's Ministers of Commerce and Athletics, as well as with the mayor of the city of Sydney.

A.F.

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